Make It Good

I walked in the door from Trader Joe’s yesterday with bags so full I couldn’t resist going live to unpack them with you. If you missed it, the replay is below, along with links to everything I’m cooking this week with what I bought. It’s finally cool enough here for cozy food, so I’m making the classic shepherd’s pie from Eat What You Love (page 250).

Hi friends! I have a little thank-you for you today! I know it can be tough to remember all the recipes Iโ€™ve shared here, especially if youโ€™re a founding member! There are now 250+ posts with recipes, videos, or community content. So! I gathered ten of my favorite apple and pumpkin recipes into one printable collection, so you donโ€™t have to dig through old posts every time a fall craving hits.

what surprised me, what I loved, what I’d do differently, and whether we’d go again. Three nights on the Disney Magic with kids 9, 11, and 16 After night one of our first-ever Disney Cruise, Ryan and I both went to bed thinking: this might be our one and only. For starters - this was our first cruise ever, not just a Disney cruise. By the end of day three, I was telling Ryan I would absolutely try another one.

Playback speed × Share post Share post at current time Share from 0:00 0:00 / Preview Your fall salad lineup is here 🍎 A new smoky chicken salad, plus 3 bonus autumn salads to keep on rotation. I love a fall salad that’s hearty enough to call dinner. I especially love one that’s hardy enough to meal prep and have in containers for lunches.

with a grain-free and dairy free sub! Hi friends! We just returned home from our first ever Disney Cruise! I have lots of thoughts to share, and you all had so many great questions (food, allergy friendliness, sleeping arrangements, best ages for kids), so stay tuned for my review post! We sailed to Mexico and just did 3 days so we could give it a (low-stakes) try.

There’s something about walking into Trader Joe’s this time of year that makes it nearly impossible to stick a list. The movie you walk through the doors, there are pumpkins, cinnamon scented brooms, and mums greeting you, then suddenly every end cap cap is stacked with little jars of pumpkin this and maple that, cinnamon-scented everything, and some new apple treat you definitely didn’t come in for. My mom is an absolute sucker for all of it.

I’ve been a fan of bone broth protein for a long time because, unlike collagen peptides, it’s made from concentrated bone broth and contains a broader range of naturally occurring amino acids and nutrients from the broth. I still use collagen in my coffee from time to time, but I love bone broth protein when I want an easy way to add a little more protein to something I’m already eating. I was, of course, excited when Paleovalley came out with their Pumpkin Spice Bone Broth Protein Powder.

We’ve only been to New England once during the fall. Back in 2008 for our first anniversary. A family friend had a timeshare in Stowe, Vermont and they graciously let us use their nights as our wedding present. I dreamt that I was in the little town from White Christmas. I made Ryan tour every single covered bridge, autumnal leafy forest, cozy inn, and apple farm I could find in a 50 mile radius. And I’m certain I insisted on Charlie Brown’s It’s The Great Pumpkin soundtrack on repeat while we drove.

We’ve been back in school for about 4 weeks, and I swear I’ve already gotten dozens of “fever” reports from the classrooms and friends. A couple of stomach bugs making their rounds too. Hooray for back to school! So far, so good for us. But I’m holding my breath, I know we can’t avoid every school germ. We have three kids, sports, carpools, friends and all the things. But I’ve been focusing extra effort on the simple routines we come back to this time of the year.

As I mentioned in my protein bar post, we’ve officially entered the teenage athlete phase of our family, and I’m spending more time than ever in the kitchen trying to keep up! Asher is eating his weight in protein and is eating about double what he used to just this summer with all of the sports he’s playing on a daily basis.